Su Huan, who was about to fall asleep, suddenly awakened, looking at her back in disbelief.
"Now?"
Her body was covered in marks, and the clothes she had worn in were wrinkled and disheveled, thrown messily on the floor, completely unwearable.
Su Huan swallowed her anger and said quietly, "It's too late, why not tomorrow..."
She wanted to ask if she could go back tomorrow.
The sensation on her body made even sitting up difficult, let alone walking back... she dared not imagine what would happen if someone saw her.
However, the only response she got was the sound of water from the bathroom.
Su Huan's eyes suddenly dimmed, as if she had fallen into an icy cave.
Her hand gripped the bed sheet tightly, and her chest felt like it was stuffed with cotton, making it hard to breathe.
She endured the discomfort on her body, supporting her exhausted frame as she got up from the bed, picked up the dirty, messy clothes from the floor, hastily wrapped herself, and slowly moved toward the door.
By the time Shen Xiaoyu came out, Su Huan was gone.
The messy bed seemed to have been tidied, with no trace of what had happened, though the lingering scent in the room still reminded her of their recent recklessness.
Shen Xiaoyu raised her hand to rub her brow, silently cursing herself.
Drinking really messed things up.
What's done was done, and saying more wouldn't help. She could only try to forget what had happened, wrap herself in blankets, and fall into a deep sleep.
The next morning, when she opened the door, Shen Xiaoyu saw Su Huan right away.
Su Huan, either just returning or about to leave, had her hand loosely resting on the doorknob, looking in her direction.
After a night of adjustment, Shen Xiaoyu had returned to normal. Even when facing Su Huan, she treated her like a stranger.
What was the big deal about sleeping with Su Huan? It wasn't like they hadn't done it before.
Shen Xiaoyu kept her eyes straight ahead as she walked toward the elevator.
After just a few steps, Su Huan's voice came from behind, "Shen Xiaoyu!"
Shen Xiaoyu paused, then quickened her pace, as if trying to escape.
[Host, are you...]
[Shut up!] Shen Xiaoyu was furious with embarrassment.
Behind her, Su Huan watched her retreating figure, the light in her eyes gradually dimming.
The sensations still lingering on her body made her legs somewhat weak. Without a good night's rest, her temples were throbbing.
Watching Shen Xiaoyu's silhouette completely disappear, she finally swiped her card, pushed open the door, and entered her room.
Just as she was about to sit down, her phone rang with an unfamiliar number.
She answered, "Hello, this is Su Huan."
The caller said something, and her eyes moved slightly as she pressed her lips together, "I understand. Send me the documents. I'll contact you after I've made a decision."
After hanging up, Su Huan looked at the files the other party had sent, her expression hesitant.
In the end, she closed her phone and curled up on the sofa, sighing as she looked out the window.
What should she do to make her stay?
○
After that night, Shen Xiaoyu had been circling around Su Huan, deliberately avoiding her.
As a result, for an entire week, the two hadn't run into each other.
It wasn't that she couldn't face that night—after all, they had done even more reckless things in the past.
It was just that if they did meet, she wouldn't know what to say. Rather than being awkward, it was better not to see each other at all.
Besides, Shen Xiaoyu had nothing she wanted to say to her anyway.
It wasn't until the day they were scheduled to return that Shen Xiaoyu appeared before Su Huan, dragging her suitcase.
She seemed to have had a good week—she looked well, with a rosy complexion and a faint smile on her lips. Even her gaze toward Su Huan had softened considerably.
"Xiaoyu seems in such a good mood. Looks like you had a great time this week," Tang Tang, sitting next to Su Huan, looked at her with a smile.
Shen Xiaoyu placed her suitcase in the back and replied with a bright smile, "That was true before I saw you both. Now, well, that's another story."
She went around them to sit in the back seat, put on her headphones, and turned to look out the window, appearing as if she didn't want to be disturbed.
Tang Tang's smile faded slightly. She muttered that Xiaoyu was such a joker, glancing at Su Huan beside her, as if observing her reaction.
However, Su Huan wore a mask covering half her face, making her expression unreadable, though her visible brows and eyes revealed her fatigue and weariness.
Tang Tang frowned slightly and leaned closer to ask with concern, "Sister Huan, why do you look so unwell? Are you sick? Should we go to the hospital?"
She turned to the driver and said, "First, go to the hospi—"
Before she could finish, Su Huan interrupted, "No need. Go straight back."
Her voice was hoarse. She wrapped her coat tighter and half-opened her eyes to look at Shen Xiaoyu in the back.
But Shen Xiaoyu acted as if she hadn't seen Su Huan, sitting in the back with her legs crossed, doing something on her tablet, her fingers dancing across the keyboard without stopping the entire journey.
Su Huan's eyes dimmed as she lowered her gaze and closed her eyes drowsily.
Upon reaching the set, Shen Xiaoyu was the first to get out of the car, taking her suitcase and walking toward the hotel.
At the hotel entrance, Shi Qiubai was looking around as if waiting for something. When she saw Shen Xiaoyu, her eyes brightened, and she ran over to her.
"Sister, you're finally back," Shi Qiubai chattered. "Mom said you probably weren't eating or living well out there, so she sent a lot of things for you to replenish your health. You..."
Shi Qiubai was about to say more but closed her mouth after seeing Shen Xiaoyu's expression.
She pouted, "Sister seems to have taken good care of herself. Poor me, I could only eat boiled vegetables at home."
Shen Xiaoyu laughed, "So, tell your mom not to worry about me. I can take care of myself. Have you memorized all the lines I assigned you?"
"All done, Sister, don't worry. I've even lost five pounds!"
Shi Qiubai chattered beside her as they entered the hotel together.
Behind them, Su Huan watched their retreating figures with dimmed eyes, her gaze deep and unfathomable.
Beside her, Tang Tang sighed, "Xiaoyu and her artist get along so well. Even though they just signed, they seem like they've known each other for over a decade. It's really enviable."
Su Huan gave her a cold glance and walked into the hotel.
When she entered, the elevator had just reached the ground floor. She quickened her pace, taking three steps in two, and entered the elevator with Shen Xiaoyu.
After entering, Su Huan stood at a distance from Shen Xiaoyu—not too far, not too close—making her presence felt without being too obvious.
After she entered, Shi Qiubai stopped talking, occasionally glancing at Su Huan. Whatever she thought, she secretly rolled her eyes.
Shen Xiaoyu didn't notice her expression, looking down at her newly done nails with boredom, casually thinking about her plans for the evening, feeling like indulging herself.
Maybe she would go drinking—she wondered if there was a bar nearby.
The elevator floor numbers kept changing, and they soon reached their floor.
Since the arrangements were made by the production team, their rooms were not far apart.
Shen Xiaoyu and Shi Qiubai walked in front, with Su Huan following closely behind.
She didn't speak, just occasionally coughed a few times, as if trying to attract someone's attention.
But neither of the two in front turned around.
Only when they reached their room doors did Shen Xiaoyu notice that Su Huan had also stopped, taking out her key card to open the door behind her.
Shi Qiubai pouted, her expression somewhat disdainful.
"She definitely arranged it on purpose!" she declared firmly. "Otherwise, why would she be across from Sister instead of me!"
She shouted something about how she was the one who should be Sister's artist, raising her voice as if deliberately wanting someone to hear.
Shen Xiaoyu laughed, inserted her card, and pushed the door open.
Whatever.
Living across from each other didn't mean anything.
She wouldn't drink again, and she wouldn't sleep with her a second time while drunk—after all, the aftermath was quite troublesome.